Saving Money

Family finance tips

At Gerber Life we know the value of a hard-earned dollar. And when you're raising a family, it becomes even more important to stretch that dollar as far as it can go to help you save money. Our family finance tips can help you make smart decisions for spending your money as well as help you make use of opportunities to save it. Whether it's clipping coupons before grocery shopping or throwing a do-it-yourself (DIY) children's birthday party, our family finance tips can help you think outside the box, so that you can put more money into saving.

We all probably have a “guilty pleasure” that we like to indulge in from time to time. Maybe it’s mint chocolate chip ice cream, or a trip to a favorite clothing store for a new outfit. It’s important as well as fun to spoil ourselves every now and again, but what if we found ways for saving money while doing an activity we already love?

Take our quiz below about what you love to splurge on – and then get some great tips on how to save money while doing so.

New books aren’t cheap, and costs can quickly pile up if your child is an insatiable reader. Luckily, there are ways to provide your child with books that won’t break the bank.

Of course, your local library is an excellent resource for free books. Sometimes though, the library isn’t always the best option. Exuberant children can damage books, return deadlines can be forgotten, and busy schedules can make getting to the library a challenge.

If that is the case for your family, you’ll need to find another way to save money on books. With the rise of digital technology, e-books have increasingly become a cheaper alternative to new books. If you hadn’t considered e-books yet, here are a few reasons why you might want to:

Buying new clothes might actually be an enjoyable process, if you didn’t already know what was on the horizon. As soon as your child wears those clothes, they may come back stained with grass or mustard or grease. The rate at which your child (and significant other) is able to stain clothing would be pretty impressive, if you could just figure out how to remove common stains from them.

Of course, you want to get rid of stains so that those clothes can be worn again. However, stain-removal products can be expensive, and they don’t always work. If the added cost and extra work wasn’t bad enough, your child will be pretty disappointed if he or she can no longer wear a favorite shirt.

Before getting to the actual removal process, you need to make sure the stain does not set. Immediately, treat the stain with water or another type of solvent, keep away from any source of heat, and gently work the solvent into the stain.

Once you have prevented the stain from setting, there are a few inexpensive tricks you can then use. For ideas on how to remove common stains, try these tips:

Taxes are inevitable and often unpredictable. For families living on a tight budget, paying a certified public accountant (CPA) to calculate, prepare and file taxes each year may not be feasible financially. Instead, consider using the many free resources provided by tax preparation companies and the IRS. From tax planning calculators that you can use year-round to user-friendly software that makes filing a cinch, there are plenty of online resources that can help ease your tax season.

It’s not always easy to find the “perfect” Valentine’s Day gift year after year, especially when on a tight budget. Solution? Consider adding a personal touch and a little creativity, too. You can share your love without breaking the bank this Valentine’s Day through these affordable gifts, listed by personality type: